Volunteers with brooms to the ready are preparing for operation Clean Sweep on Lincoln Blvd. Saturday morning as part of an on-going push to make the Santa Monica strip more visually appealing.
Organized by The Lincoln Boulevard Task Force (LBTF), Clean Sweep is a clean up effort to help make Lincoln “Safe, Clean, Beautiful, and Green,” LBTF’s catch-cry.
“Our vision of the future is a safe, pedestrian friendly street that is less auto-centric and one that better serves the daily needs of its neighborhoods,” explained LBFT Chair Roger Swanson. “We envision better lighting, safe crosswalks to connect the neighborhoods, and less weeds and litter.”
The cleap-up event will be held on Lincoln Blvd. from the 10 Freeway south to the Venice border at Ozone Ave.
Volunteers are asked to bring their own brooms, work gloves, clippers, and trowels to pick up litter and other debris and pull weeds along sidewalks and tree wells.
Volunteers are also advised to wear hats, sunblock, and to bring water to drink. The City will provide plastic trash bags and disposable gloves for litter and weed removal and will arrange for pick up of the refuse, according to event organizers.
“When the City of Santa Monica took over the boulevard from the state it seemed possible through citizen advocacy and effort to improve it such as has occurred with Ocean Park and Pico,” stated Killeen Pilon, LBTF volunteer and Clean Sweep Organizer. “This is the third cleanup we have had in two years…trees have been planted, the sidewalks were washed, and some businesses have improved their appearance with plants, signage, and murals.
“There are two dozen murals in north to south, thanks to Evan Meyer, beautification guru, who believes that the quickest way to change a place is with art,” Pilon said.
Clean Sweep will build on previous cleap-up efforts by LBTF with a focus this time on specific sources of trash and debris, as well as removing weeds and debris along the public right of way.
“The first vision of Santa Monica spied by visitors arriving from LAX by car, bus or shuttle is likely to be Lincoln Boulevard just past Rose and Lincoln which rather continues to typify the ‘Stinkin’ Lincoln’ sentiment,” Pilon explained.
“The future I envision is a cleaner Lincoln with residents who are caring and careful, businesses willing to maintain their sites for the sake of attracting customers and doing the right thing when it comes to disposal of hazardous chemicals and separating trash and recyclables,” she added.
The event will also provide businesses with feedback in the form of an individual progress report; grading businesses on how they are doing to ensure that they embrace “Safe, Clean, Beautiful, and Green”.
“We encourage residents, businesses along Lincoln Boulevard, local schools, and members of neighborhood organizations adjacent to Lincoln to celebrate the Clean Sweep by volunteering for the event,” Swanson said.
The event is produced in association with the Ocean Park Association, Borderline Neighborhood Group, Friends of Sunset Park, Pico Neighborhood Association, and Sustainable Works.org
To volunteer, email killeencpilon@gmail.com or just show up. Check in Saturday morning at the table in the Albertson’s parking lot on Lincoln and Ocean Park. The event will run from 9 am until midday, Saturday Nov. 1. For more information go to: opa-sm.org/lincoln.
